Silent Films and Hookah Bars: A Visit to Astoria, New York

Last week, I had the marvelous experience of visiting The Museum Of Moving Image, Astora. I delighted in the blood curdling zombies, dead bodies, optical illusion toys and numerous station games.

Cinematography’s  impact on fashion images fascinated me. Before synchronized dialogue became practical in the late 1920s, people enjoyed silent, black-and-white movies. Enormous amounts of makeup, especially in the eye area, highlighted their emotions.  This compensated for the lack of color and sound. Silent film goddesses like Greta Garbo,  Lillian GishLouise Brooks, Marlene Dietrich, and many others had style and beauty that had a significant impact on fashion images.

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Lillian Gish

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Greta Garbo

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Greta Garbo

Louise Brooks photo: Louise Brooks louise-2.jpg

Louise Brooks

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Louise Brooks

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Marlene Dietrich

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Marlene Dietrich

The museum’s spacious, contemporary interior design is simply stunning. The  1960s sci-fi style aesthetics, reminiscent of a spaceship, and the fun, educational activities, make the whole Moving Image world unforgettable.

And, this is the icing on the cake. If you’re a Mediterranean foodie  like me, don’t forget to check out the venues in that area, including the mysterious hookah bars, enchanting Egyptian restaurants and delicious Oriental bakery. It’s a perfect way to complete the museum experience.

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